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June 29, 2009

London native writes McConnell political biography

Ivy Brashear / Staff Writer

London native and Louisville lawyer, John David Dyche, has spent five years writing a political biography about Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell. The book, “Republican Leader: A Political Biography of Senator Mitch McConnell,” was released nationwide earlier this month.

Dyche said he was raised in London and still has ties to the area through his family. He talked of his life in London fondly.

“I used to play basketball against the Redhounds and come to Corbin to date all the pretty girls there,” Dyche said.

There were many reasons why Dyche said he was so intent on writing this book, including the fact that McConnell is the key person building the Republican Party, Dyche said.

“Most (political biographies) are written from the left side of things, and I wanted to give the other side of the story,” Dyche said. He also said that McConnell should be written about because of his high political status.

“He has achieved a rare status in politics that only one other Kentuckian has achieved,” Dyche said. The other Kentuckian Dyche referenced is Alben W. Barkley, who was majority leader from 1937-1947, and minority leader from 1947-1949.

Dyche said the book focuses mainly on the political life of McConnell, and does mention his involvement with Kentucky politicians Jim Bunning and former Governor Ernie Fletcher.

“He (McConnell) really blazed the trail for the ‘Republican Revolution’ back in the 1990s,” Dyche said, referencing McConnell’s work in the 1994 Congressional session.

Dyche traveled to Washington, D.C. to interview McConnell in what Dyche said is his “natural habitat.” He even interviewed his wife and people in Congress whom McConnell had “butted heads with.”

Dyche said he’s certain the book will receive criticism from many, but he said he isn’t worried about that.

“I’m sure there will be some that say I was too easy on him,” Dyche said. He said he tried to include some of McConnell’s faults as a politician in the book to make it more balanced.

“I don’t know if I’m purely balanced but there are bad things (in the book) along with the many good,” Dyche said.

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